The Tragedy of Zino
by Jon Stone
Summary: Zino is the only Greek in a world of Romans.  His mission is to change that.  He must overthrow the current emperor, Sulla, and take his place as the leader.  The only thing is that he doesn't have the strength.  His mind has matured faster than his body.


Jon Pritzker, 1˚

**The Tragedy of Zino**

"What should we do with him?" Whispered one.

"He is a gift. We shall raise him as our own."

"But he's being born into a world of Romans. He's the only Greek left! His civilization is far behind him. He may not know it now, but it's in his blood!"

"Well, I'm sure that he's been born for a reason, so again, we just have to care for him as our own."

"But then _she_ might get angry."

"She?"

"You-know-who's _wife_. She will be enraged that you-know-who cheated on her. Again!"

"Well, she is the goddess of marriage. We can hope she will try to make their marriage work by not killing him?"

"You know as well as I that that isn't happening. Don't you remember what she has done to all of the other heroes? She's going to get jealous again, and try to-"

"Hush. I think the child is awake. He may not understand, but he will later. For now, let's just try to protect him. After all, he did nothing to deserve the suffering in his future. Good night."

"We can't just say good night, bring him into our house, and _not_ give him a name!"

"Okay, then what do you propose?"

"Let's give him a remembrance of where he came, if he survives long enough."

"How about Perseus? _His_ first son was named Perseus."

"No! Much too unoriginal. This child is a gift from _him, _not of his wife. He did not come the same way that babies do. He was cut out of the stomach."

"Then that's what we should name the child." She turned to me with care in her eyes, with love filling her heart, and was that a little fear in her eyes?

She said to me, "Zino. Good night Julius Zino." Then there was blackness.

ΩΩΩ

Someone came to me in my dreams. He seemed powerful, and the longer I stared at him, the more I felt as if all the horrible nightmares would come out. Then there was a face. Just a single face. It represented the hope lost in the abyss of horrible creatures. I tried to talk to that face, since I couldn't move. What would happen? Was the thing even conscious?

"Are you going to hurt me?" I asked tentatively. For all I know, this thing is a tooth fairy. I could tell it wasn't though, when it laughed a throaty and hearty laugh.

"Fear not, child, for this may happen much more often. We gods communicate through dreams. Your father sent me to warn you. He loves you, but you must realize that if he portrayed this love before your time came, his brothers could usurp his throne. He must remain the king of his people. I am Morpheus, Partner of Sleep, Bestower of Dreams, and Secret Messenger of-"

"NO."

The "no" seemed to come from nowhere, and I was scared! This Morpheus guy seemed a powerful entity with a near overwhelming presence, but that "no." Boy, that "no" could kill me if with a flick of its wrist.

Morpheus resumed, "my apologies. I am not to reveal my master. That is his job. But my message! _He_ wants me to tell you, and his voice went deep and rumbling, similar to the "no" that I had just heard, 'Beware my wife. She is often jealous of my affairs. She will stop at most nothing to reveal you to the other gods. When they discover your existence, everyone will be against you with the exception of Morpheus. He is now your patron. You will listen to him, for if I see you, I will be forced to kill you. Overcome all, fear none, it is you against the world. One last warning, the snakes are coming. Your first attack from my wife.'" With that, I woke.

ΩΩΩ

The snakes were coming. The snakes were coming! My first challenge in this hard and arduous life. I was not nearly large enough to handle the two python eyes that I envisioned in my mind's eye. I had to do something! I crawled out of the crib that I had been so condescendingly shoved into, even against my cries. Did they not understand that crying meant no, NOT to put me into a crib. They were kind though. That is what mattered. They just didn't understand children. Snakes!

I continued my journey, which I had subconsciously stopped. My little fat legs had stopped in front of the shelves. The snakes entered the door from outside. Maybe I could climb the shelves to get away from the monsters? I feared that the pythons might kill me before I could haul myself up.

I launched with all of my might, barely avoiding a snake bight to the ankle. There was venom dripping out of its mouth, and the smallest bit landed on my left toe. The amount of pain that I went through was so horrible, I thought that I was going to die, and I almost fell, but luckily, I made it to the top of the shelves, from where I could see the snakes, coiling to launch towards me.

Suddenly, out of the left corner of my eye, I saw a knife appear. I grabbed at it and swung towards where one snake was now airborn. The knife cleaved straight through its head, dissolving the creature into dust. The second looked at me more cautiously. I had to do something fast. I looked left, and then right. Just beyond the tall lied my escape: the door.

"You are armed. How sssssso?" The snake seethed, slithering slowly as I stumbled towards the edge of the shelves, completely disregarding the snake. I leaped with all of my might, making a perfect jump as my hands caught the top of the wardrobe. I didn't underestimate my skill, I underestimated my arm strength, I realized as I tumbled towards the bottom of the wardrobe. Slightly dizzy, I got up, and leaped towards the door ajar. I felt a strong breeze of wind pass my back, from what I assumed was the snakes mouth an inch from my spinal cord. Once I got to the door, I tried to slam it on the snake's head, but to no avail. I got outside, and ran across what was left of a street. I looked back at the snake that was making its way across the street at a shocking speed. Then, something happened. A power emanated from the blade in my hand. My arm took aim and threw the knife. It flew with pinpoint accuracy and nailed the snake between the eyes. The weapon flew back to me, landing perfectly in my hands as the snake dissolved like the other one.

Now that pythons weren't chasing me, I got to examine the blade more carefully. There was a poppy one side of the blade, and a balance scale on the other. The scale looked evil, but I supposed that justice might seem cruel. It must have been a balance of Athena, since she was the goddess of balance and justice. I found a name fit for the sword. A strong, yet elegant name. Caesar.

With that, I fell unconscious once more, but not from a message from a god, from sheer exhaustion. I just killed two pythons at an age of around one. Well, at least I was intelligent enough to realize what is happening. My brain is developing quicker than my body.

ΩΩΩ

Two Olympians: just two. Now, some might have said that I was just being chased by two of them, but one was the goddess of love, and the other was the goddess of a group of huntresses. Every woman that I fell in love with was perfect. They always completed me, but in the end, Aphrodite would steal their love from me. I was in constant tragedy. Artemis, being the goddess of the hunt and the moon, would never gift me one night of sleep. Morpheus would try to help me, but he was a minor god. I don't think that he could ever take on an Olympian, let alone two.

Morpheus could give some protection, however. The knife that I received from him, bearing his poppy and Athena's balance, has grown with me, as if attached to me. At will, I can morph it into either a dagger or a sword. This was one of many kind actions that he took to protect me. He is my guide now. I constantly hear his voice, always giving me guidance, always giving me comfort. Now he is not just my patron, he is my friend.

For thirty years I have been running with the goddesses after me. Ever since the pythons, Morpheus has always been with me, but when a Hecatonchiere attacked me, Morpheus was terrified. This monster was the first monster ever to be created. It was the size of mountains, and had one hundred massive arms, all throwing boulders at me.

I was running when something occurred to me. Did Morpheus want me to live in fear? My true father said that he could only reveal himself when my time came. My time was not coming while I was running from a monster. No. I wouldn't let it. That wasn't happening. I was going to fight. Fight back! Fight back! For all that I was worth! I will not spend the rest of my life hiding in shadows! From then on, no one could stop me, not this stupid monster, not anyone. I turned, facing the massive monster, making it realize that I wasn't running anymore.

My arm lifted, aiming my sword directly at the monster's heart. My sword. The sword that Morpheus gave me. It grew with me. I would fight back too. It was no longer a sword. It was part of me. And since it was part of me, it would share my title.  
>"I, Julius Zino, bond myself with my sword, Caesar. We are one. We are Julius Zino Caesar."<p>

My sword started to glow, and as my anger channeled through it, lightning shot out of the tip, immediately incinerating the horrible monster.

ΩΩΩ

Aphrodite must have been letting up, because when I fell in love, it was deeper than any I had ever felt. Each moment apart from this woman was a moment wasted. Her name was Servilia Caepionis. The most beautiful person ever to have walked the earth. We had a child together. His name was Brutus, but the child's cries replaced those of Morpheus. I asked for him, he was no longer there. He was no longer with me. He was no longer beside me, giving me a knife to kill some snakes. Now, it was just Brutus. Not to say that he was insufficient, for he filled the hole that Morpheus left, but when Servilia left, I could barely take it. Aphrodite just wanted to torture me more, as Servilia took my son. All that I had hoped for was taken. My love, my friend, and my family. All gone.

ΩΩΩ

I was tortured by watching her from a distance. Although my son couldn't know me, I watched him grow, from when he entered the military to his rhetoric skills almost identical to mine. Pride elated me, but grief shut it back down. I couldn't tell him that I was his father. Day after day passed, and each time I saw my child, I was filled with happiness at being able to be near him, but they would end so soon! Too soon.

That night, I was visited by a voice. It was godly. Morpheus? Could it be? Was it actually he, returned after all of these long and lonesome years? A sad happiness filled me at that thought. A tear brimmed my eye. Then, I started to cry, as whom I saw was not Morpheus. It was the voice that said 'no!' It was my father.

"Son. I am Zeus, Driver of the Storm Cloud, King of the Gods, Slayer of Chronos, my father and the titan of time, and your time has come. Revert Rome to its origin: Greece. The gods are behind you. Revert Rome, revert Rome, revert Rome…"

ΩΩΩ

It's been eight years since Zeus visited me, and my revolution was a success. I was cornered, fighting off three of Sulla's elite warriors, as well as himself. I had fought almost the entire army, so I was exhausted, and Sulla was talented. Elite number one launched at me, bringing his sword down in a deadly arc. I, barely able to dodge, was almost speared by elite number two. Completely off balance, elite number one brought his sword to his right, directly to my neck. I ducked, bringing an uppercut to his chin and running Caesar through his chest at the same time. Elite number two whammed his spear into my outstretched back, effectively shoving me to the ground. The thing was that I wasn't any less powerful on the ground than I was standing. Elite number two got cocky and tried to stab me in the back, but I spun, hitting the shaft of the spear, knocking it to the side. I shifted Caesar into a dagger as elite number two fell onto me. I kept the blade strong, and stabbed him in the heart with it. With difficulty, I shrugged him off. I looked up at elite number three, who had a flaming arrow notched in his bow. Thinking quickly, I ducked and threw Caesar with such force that it lodged itself in the elite, killing him, but preventing it from returning to me. It was just me, and Sulla with his sword. I was bracing myself, praying to Zeus for a miracle, and one did come. It wasn't from Zeus, but from Aphrodite. She helped me create my rescue. Brutus came crashing down on Sulla, running him through with his blade, and killing him instantly. I knew instantly that Brutus would have to be by my side at all times. With that, Sulla's throne was taken, and I took control of Rome, with Brutus, my savior and son, by my side.

ΩΩΩ

It's been a couple months, and I was about to break my plan to the senate. I had made the detailed plan with Brutus, and we continued to grow closer. He didn't seem to like it at first, but I knew that he would soon realize the ingeniousness of my plan.

I arrived at the senate, and everyone there seemed to have sad, but determined faces. Brutus seemed different. He showed no emotion on his face. I excused his behavior as an attempt to disguise his prior knowledge of the plan I was about to reveal.

I walked to my podium, starting to deliver the news.

"Friends," I started, but was interrupted by Brutus standing up. With him, all of the others started to rise as well. Some of them looked sad, apologetic, happy, dismal, but Brutus. He looked vengeful, like he'd been angry his entire life.

As they started to walk towards me, the guards outside shut the doors. There was a loud _shnk_ which I supposed was a lock closing. Everyone took out their daggers, and I realized their malicious intents. It made me sad, but Brutus had no knife. Was he still on my side? Could he help me like he did when I was with Sulla?

I started to take out Caesar, but I was pinned down, nowhere to move, being stabbed in the legs, the arms. I didn't even pay them mind as I saw Brutus walk towards me, his face distorting, and my knife disappeared.

He walked, taking his time, as if he had all of it in the world. His steps seeme slowed, he face was shifting constantly, and he finally arrived by my side. The stabs were nudging me, but my mind dulled them to a pain. Brutus. Brutus. My son.

His face continued to change, and my knife appeared in his hand. The poppy glowed black, the balance glowed red.

"You thought that the balance was one of justice, one of Athena. You were mistaken. The balance is one of Nemesis. One of revenge. The poppy is one of Morpheus." His voice. It wasn't Brutus's voice. It was my friend's. "It was one of me. I am Morpheus." Then I was stabbed, the only one that hurt. A direct strike to my heart, I was destroyed physically as well as emotionally. My long-lost friend. Morpheus. The knife sank to my heart like a hot knife through butter. I died.

ΩΩΩ

After my death, there was a golden age. I created peace, but it cost me my life. I gave everything, my happiness, my sadness, my family. It was given back. Give life your all. It may give it back.

11


End file.
